A recent college grad working in Syrian refugee camps.
A soon-to-be retired professor up late building inexpensive geophysical instruments to find water in Chad.
A young consultant collaborating with a team of writers and illustrators on a comic that addresses social inequalities in the U.S.
An elderly woman in the Philippines making soup for her neighbors.
What do these individuals have in common?
These women and men share a commitment to practicing justice through their unique talents and circumstances.
What does it mean for you to practice justice today, in your home community and social context?
We invite you to join a global and intergenerational community in responding to that question by submitting reflections that are thoughtful, sincere, respectful and oriented towards action.
The ancient Greek word praxis, or “doing,” has been used by secular and religious philosophers to describe the paired dance of reflection and action. Our understanding of praxis is shaped primarily by two modern educational theorists. Based on American theorist David Kolb’s description of experiential learning as praxis, we humbly recognize that practicing justice is learned by walking alongside others and is often expressed in simple and unacknowledged ways. We also draw heavily on Brazilian philosopher Paolo Freire’s definition of praxis as “reflection and action directed at the structures to be transformed.”1 With this understanding, we affirm that justice should be the purposeful construction of structures, systems, routines, and communities that respect and uphold the dignity, value, and diversity of people worldwide.
Our intent in hosting Streetside Conversations is to aid in praxis by prompting reflection, encouraging conversation, and ultimately motivating action among those with a passion for justice.
We hope you will join us.
– The Streetside Conversations Team –
1Freire, Paolo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Translated by Myra Bergman Ramos. 1968. Bloomsbury, 1970.
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